Friday, 29 July 2011

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Love Story by Jennifer EcholsPublished by MTV Books in 2011 (this edition is an e-Galley, courtesy of the S&S Galley Grab programme)

Description (from Goodreads)She's writing about him. he's writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines..

For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions--it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?

Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter . . . except this story could come true.

My thoughtsWow... Huge blurb. Though it's not really relevant. Love Story is the first book by Jennifer Echols I have ever read. I had been seeing so much about her and her books on a large number of blogs, that when I noticed that her latest novel was available to read through the S&S Galley Grab programme, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Love Story tells the love story between the two main characters of this book, Hunter and Erin. It's obvious right from the start that there is something between them, something that is unresolved and causes tension in their 'relationship'. Erin is attending a course creative writing as part of her majoring in writing/journalism and she is just having her first story critiqued when Hunter walks into the classroom. What no-one knows is that Erin and Hunter grew up together on the same farm and also that, when Erin's grandmother disinherited her, she gave all her college fund to him, as well as promising him Erin's inheritance.

The book opens with Erin's first short story that is being critiqued on the day Hunter joins the class, which I thought was interesting and original. Throughout the book, we get to read more stories written by both Erin and Hunter and which reveal, in a rather special way, what has happened between them. Echols has done a brilliant job of differentiating the styles of the two writers, making their stories unique to each one of them.

The actual story was not much. It progresses naturally, just as Erin and Hunter's 'relationship' progresses, but, to me, it came off as chick-lit for young adults. I don't say that in a demeaning way; chick lit is a wonderful genre in itself and one I often turn to when I am in need of something to cheer me up! I mean it in the way that chick lit is usually about relationships and the way they progress to reach a final state (good or bad) at the end of the book. That's what this book felt like to me. One thing I really did like about it was that the characters were at university. I think the fact that they were both 18 (or was it 19?) gave the author the freedom to move her story in different ways than she would have had to if the characters had been younger.

All in all, Love Story is a perfect summer read (and by that I mean, it's lovely and it will make you feel happy at the end)! I had a few moments when I was confused, as things seemed to come out of nowhere, and I did feel the ending was a little rushed and left some things unresolved, but it really was a lovely read. I am definitely going to try out something else by Jennifer Echols!

Rating: 7/10

Author:Jennifer Echols is the author of a number of romantic comedies and romantic dramas targeted to the young adult market (but not only!). Some of her books include:

I am in Love with Ms. Echol's writing. She always finds a way to grab my heart and thrust me into a good story. As I began reading this book, what got me hooked is the unique plot line of it. As the reader, we are thrown into this world like no other. Filled with farms, horses, and a stable boy that caught my heart.